How common is it for high schooler to have a tutor?

[Anonymous]

We used a math tutor during COVID to ensure DC was getting proper math instruction, and FULL instruction not the abbreviated stuff taught during DL. It was successful so we kept on with it the following year. We still use the tutor, but only as needed when DC is having a hard time with a particular topic or to prep for a big exam (and some extra work).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We used a math tutor during COVID to ensure DC was getting proper math instruction, and FULL instruction not the abbreviated stuff taught during DL. It was successful so we kept on with it the following year. We still use the tutor, but only as needed when DC is having a hard time with a particular topic or to prep for a big exam (and some extra work).

I agree with the "as needed" approach, as long as it is not a majority of the school year. I feel like if one needs a tutor for everything, all the time, well - maybe those are the wrong classes for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We used a math tutor during COVID to ensure DC was getting proper math instruction, and FULL instruction not the abbreviated stuff taught during DL. It was successful so we kept on with it the following year. We still use the tutor, but only as needed when DC is having a hard time with a particular topic or to prep for a big exam (and some extra work).

I agree with the "as needed" approach, as long as it is not a majority of the school year. I feel like if one needs a tutor for everything, all the time, well - maybe those are the wrong classes for you.

I would agree with this especially because if you are spending time with a tutor for every class it's going to crowd out time to do other things.

My kids have used tutors as needed -- math for one and writing & FL for the other -- but not all classes and every year of HS.

It is a challenging balance to pick the right class level for kids. DD did great in intensified math in MS so started 9th grade in intensified Alg 2. She missed a bunch of school for illness at the start of the year and was falling farther and farther behind. We gave her the option of getting a tutor or dropping down to regular Alg 2 and she decided to do that so she could take a slower pace there and focus more on the rest of her very challenging schedule. But she did opt for tutoring in later, higher level math classes.

[Anonymous]

Such virtue signalling from those parents who didn't use tutors in their day. My mom was spouting that line of b.s., until I pointed out that the reason I didn't need a math tutor 30 years ago in high school was because my father "helped" me in all my AP Calc classes, since he had a PhD in Chemistry. And that was back in the days of very few APs.

Kudos to you, I guess, if you got through high school with no help at all. When my kid needs help I provide it. Isn't that what parenting is about?

[Anonymous]

My son initially really resisted getting a FL tutor in 9th grade but ended up really liking his tutor. More importantly, he learned that it is ok to ask for help when you need it and that there can be a lot of value in working with a good tutor. I was glad he had that experience before going off to college -- where there is a ton of help available but only if you ask for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son initially really resisted getting a FL tutor in 9th grade but ended up really liking his tutor. More importantly, he learned that it is ok to ask for help when you need it and that there can be a lot of value in working with a good tutor. I was glad he had that experience before going off to college -- where there is a ton of help available but only if you ask for it.

exactly! and really its not about money---there are so many free resources--but you wont access them if you dont ask

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty much all my kids' friends have tutors in one to three subjects. These are all kids in advanced classes.

These are students who would fail advanced classes without help. No different than kids getting tutors because of learning disabilities. You don’t waste time with a tutor if it’s not necessary.

It's not a waste of time to support a child. There aren't textbooks and the teaching style is way different than when we grew up.

I think this is a big problem and all the private tutoring is masking how poorly schools are educating kids. At least when you had textbooks you could re read a lesson on your own. Thank God for Khan Academy, but I still think more should be happening at schools.

Absolutely agree! It’s completely masking incompetent teachers and/or ineffective methods of educating children (flipped classrooms, edu-tech, etc). Even the teachers say to use Khan academy! Which I don’t get!